Long Deepavali Weekend

Any PH is good and even better if it is a long weekend. 

I recently saw a reel on FB that it is not solely a holiday that makes people happy but the mere fact of looking forward to the vacation. So, the trick to a happy life is to constantly create a series of events/ things to look forward to. I dig that. I was looking forward to the long weekend. 

On Saturday night, I met Auntie SL and S at SimplyRetro. It had only been 2 weeks since our last visit but it felt like a long while. Disclaimer: meitu in the house

Did we enjoy? Of course. It is funny that we have sort of become “regulars”, saying “hi” to familiar faces and even “catching up” on “oh, we didn’t see you last round and where did you go” when we don’t even know their names. We simply use nicknames that we created - “tango guy and partner”, “my favorite girl”, “mini skirt”, etc. Amazingly, we all know who we are talking about and those post event discussions were fun on its own. 

I am also loving the loop sound blocking ear plugs and the revive Asian Flush blocking gummies that I bought for Simply. Both of them work amazingly. The long weekend provided the needed extra rest and I was so happy to wake up on Sunday morning, and knowing that it was the “new Saturday”. Hoho. 

We had the regular gym session on Sunday afternoon. That is when I wondered if such strength workouts should take place a day after drinking. I survived anyhow. 

On Monday morning, I went rollerblading with Nana. It had been a long time. While I can rollerblade steadily on flat paths, I am a hazard when I have to do sharp turns, long T stops on steep slopes and generally overcome everyday obstacles on the street. Rollerblading with Nana, who moves as if she is on shoes and not wheels, is an added stress. 

I fell while trying to navigate a massive slope. A jogger ran past and offered help. I was more embarrassed than in pain. While I had my wrist and knee guard, I scrapped my left elbow and knee bcos the lousy knee guard didn’t hold its spot. 

It wasn’t too bad and I could continue. We rollerbladed all the way to MBS and Nana complained that she has gotten blisters. We called Daddy Lim for help but eventually decided that we would anywheel home instead in our socks. So funny. 

At least we stopped for bfast at the kopitiam nearby before heading home. At that point, we had our rollerblades back on and Nana had to do all the food buying and carrying. I definitely don’t trust myself.

With most falls, the painful part is not only the actual fall but the recovery after that. Oh yes, tell me about the shower after that and all those unintentional rubs on the wounds. The wounds are unfortunately on spots that are high contact points.

In the afternoon, Daddy Lim and I met up with the Christmas Worship Team 2026 at Auntie TL’s place. Nana tagged along. For the past 3 years, the teenagers had been leading worship. The adults took over this year bcos the national exams, and the teenagers social life made them extremely busy. While we practice worship, we had fun socialising and catching up. 

We had dinner at Auntie TL’s place and left at about 8pm. It was such a fruitful long weekend. We need more of these. 

Mummy Lim

Church

I started attending the Faith Methodist Church with Nana when she was 2yo. We stopped for a few years when Zaky came along, until he was old enough to attend Sunday school too. 

Attending church regularly requires a lot of motivation. In the past, it was Nana, who was faithful in attending the Sunday school. Then Nana moved to CNL church and I had Zaky who just started the FMC youth group and attend the 9am service somewhat regularly with me. The 9am service made so much sense and didn’t burn off the entire Sunday morning like the 11am service that we used to attend. 

Then, Zaky moved to CNL too. Fortunately, about 3 years ago, God touched my heart and I joined a cell group and clicked with the group. To be able to discuss the sermons during cell group meetings, I found new motivation to attend church service, though still alone. Despite so, after attending service for so many years, and always sitting in the same area, there are many familiar faces. 

When we moved to Bukit Panjang, it took me about 40 mins to get to church. It now takes about 45 mins to do so and I got tempted to move to another church. 

When I was in secondary school, some of the mates attended PLMC and I had visited the church a couple of times too. PLMC is actually not in Paya Lebar, but in Serangoon. Before the MRT was so extensive, getting to PLMC was challenging and I didn’t continue. Church was “extra” to me then too. 

I wanted to explore PLMC now bcos Auntie TL and family has been with the church for a long time. Uncle K and QQ served actively too. The 1st time (after a long time) I went, I was so pleasantly surprised that there is a straight bus from our place and the bus ride is only 15 mins! Then, I found out that there is not only 1 direct bus but 3! 

Having a companion to attend church is definitely motivating and the proximity to home is a plus. After several months, I sort of made up my mind that I would start to attend PLMC but had been attending service with Auntie TL. A few weeks ago, Auntie TL was not free and I went back to FMC. That is like home, so at ease and comfortable. 

This week, Auntie TL had to work and can’t attend church too. I told myself that I had to start somewhere and would go on my own. I was so late this morning bcos there is always another household chore to do before I finally got out of the house. At 9am, when church service started, I was still at the bus stop waiting for the bus. For a moment, I wanted to turn back and go home. While I don’t go to the same church as the kids, they are always very encouraging, reminding me that late is better than never. 

Did I make it to church! Of course! Just a tad late. Hoho. 

Auntie TL, Daddy Lim and the kids are all very proud of me. Daddy Lim and the kids had not visited PLMC and are very amazed at how grand the church is. I was at the mezzanine floor bcos the church is always so crowded and they said that I had the balcony view, Cat 1 somemore! 

Auntie TL said that the church building is over hundred years old. That also explains why they couldn’t do much to expand the seating capacity. The church still keeps the wooden bench; FMC had wooden benches too before their major renovation. Daddy Lim likes churches with wooden benches but they are not very nice for privacy and we sometimes have to sit shoulder to shoulder. That was weird.

The experience of attending service alone in PLMC isn’t so bad but companion will always be good. The sermon today was also got me doing a fair bit of thinking. I told the FMC cell group that I would stop joining them next year. I am not sure if I would start one in PLMC. Auntie TL is not in any. I do hope that more of the SHSS aunties and family will one day join us in church. 

The only bad thing about PLMC? My Sunday exercise routine is messed up. I used to go to the gym class at Fusionpolis after 9am service. The class timing and location fits perfectly. I need to work out something new. 

Mummy Lim

Fresh Bread Again

I can’t remember how long ago did I buy the break maker. It was sitting idle at home for a while bcos I was lazy and it was easier to just buy a loaf. 

Over the weekend, I suddenly decided that I would use the bread maker. All the flour and yeast had expired and Daddy Lim was kind enough to humor my sudden enthusiasm and drove me to Phoon Huat for fresh ingredients. Home made bread is not cheap; the good ingredients come at a premium. 

My 1st few attempts with the bread maker ended with very dense loaves and I think it had to do with the insufficient yeast. Thereafter, I tend to be more generous with the yeast, but not excessive to end up with explosive loaves. 

This time, I decide to make a Brioche bread, which is rich in butter. I substituted brown sugar for white sugar bcos it is what we have at home. Voila! 

The sweet smelling of the bread filled the house in the last hours. The smell was so good. The bread had risen very nicely too. 

I left it to cool overnight and sliced it the next morning. It was so messy and I forgot the stress of urging the family to eat my bread before it turns stale. I was extra hardworking in making bfast for the family in the next few mornings. Haha. 

The bread turns out to be delicious. It has to be with the extra butter and sugar that the suggested recipe calls for. I am happy to say that we finished all the bread. Yay! 

I brought extra flour and butter. More bread! 

Mummy Lim

Personal Training with E at Oomph

To date, we have done 3 sessions with E. The 1st one was a baseline finding session and we felt very well after the session. The 2nd one, we started directly with the threshold weights and it wasn’t too bad too. I have some minor muscle soreness the following day, but E reminded that this is not the indication of getting stronger. The session didn’t take a full hour and I felt a little shortchanged for what we paid. We then did some “warm down” inclined sit ups and back lift to end the session.

Last Sunday, we went for our 3rd session, after a night of dancing at SimplyRetro (drinking for Daddy Lim). My back was aching like hell and I was sleepy. I stole a nap in the car and bought a Luckin coffee before the gym. I need that little sweet encouragement.

We did the same exercises but E either increased the weight and reduced the reps (from 12 to 8) for some exercises or increased the weight and reps (from 12 to 15) for others. How did he decide? It depends on whether he thinks we are already at the max threshold for that exercise, which he deduces from the agony on our face when we attempt the exercise. Hahahaha. I duno if that is the best measurement/ assessment but he is the expert. 

For some of the exercises, we now struggle the last few reps. E said that our need to fully rest that 90 secs between exercises is also a good indicator of whether we have reached our threshold. Next week, it would be the same concept - for those exercises that we are already at threshold, the weight may be the same but the rep will increase by 1. 

I prefer to do heavier weights but lesser rep. E said that heavier weights with lower rep builds strength faster with the opposite builds endurance. Both are equally important. The session also ended before the hour was up. This time, I was happy to end earlier. Hoho.

Daddy Lim is very motivated. He has a new gym in the office now, and even did a session on his own during the weekday. 

I duno when we will do another weigh in assessment but E said that the ability to lift heavier and more rep is already a good indication of us getting stronger. With more muscle, metabolism will also become higher and thus leaner. I don’t think we have any visible improvement yet. It is afterall a once a week session and we are eating the same. Let’s see how it goes. 

Mummy Lim

SimplyRetro x 2

This has become our regular Saturday hangout.

I only have the aunties as my regular friend groups. Relationship takes too much time to maintain and I am introverted with people that I aren’t familiar with. It just takes too much time and energy. While there are other friends/ ex-colleagues that I meet up once in a blue moon, the aunties are really the only ones that I make a lot of efforts. The monthly gathering aside, we meet up in smaller groups every now and then. Maybe a lunch during work week, a random dinner, an ad hoc weekend meet up, and recently, the SimplyRetro. 

These are not only my normal kakis but my party kakis when I was growing up, from Ridley, to Mdm Wong, SOS, China Jump, Double O, St James… ya, we grew up during the retro songs era, coupled with the Barbie girl and butterfly. Hohoho. Not all of them are party people though and it was partying with different sub groups at different points.

It had been so many years and we never really stopped partying. Actually it was just Auntie SL, S and I. However, as we get older, a good dancing place is hard to come by. Most of the time, we feel so old standing beside a 20 something. Never mind that the 20 something can’t dance and just wanted to get wasted. We can now afford the booze but just didn’t want to feel and look old. The last frequent (like once in few months) hangout was Mambo at Zouk, until they crowded the place with young kids, giving free entry to students. Ya, that young. Zzzzzz. 

Then we found SimplyRetro and a big group of like-minded middle age people who simply wanted to dance and have fun. We have visited it so frequently, that we made “friends”, familiar faces that we hi/ bye and dance with but don’t even know their names, even exchanging friendly hugs. Then the endless gossips/ small talks in our group chat after the night of partying. Auntie R has now joined the dancing club. Hoho.

I went to SimplyRetro with the dancing aunties earlier in September. 

Auntie SL and R left slightly earlier while Auntie S and I stayed until the lights were turned on. 

I almost went deaf. My eardrums hurt and I think I would get NID soon with all the loud music from the gym classes and SimplyRetro. So I got myself this. So atas and pretty!

Last Saturday, it was with Auntie SR and H and partners. Auntie SR belongs to the dancing aunties group but up to today, we have yet to find a slot that fits into her busy schedule. 

After all the drinking experience, I figured out that we might actually saved more $$ if we buy a bottle. Oh gosh, the last time I did that with friends, I was in my 20s! 

It was the 1st time that we celebrated birthday at SimplyRetro. Happy birthday Auntie H! 

 

I met many familiar but duno names people. They were like “where are your (real) friends?”. Another day, another day. I had a good time like always. Hoho. Auntie SR and Uncle B danced the whole night too. Uncle B is an energetic bunny. Auntie H and C fomo and joined in the fun at some point. Daddy Lim guarded the table the whole night. I think he was bored and I can now go SimplyRetro with the aunties and without him. Haha. 

The loop earplugs worked fine. It was still loud but not deafening. Auntie H and Uncle C left slightly earlier. They managed to catch the last bus. The rest of us left a little before closing. 

The next one, if I managed to book, would be with the dancing aunties. It is so difficult to book an indoor table now. The slots open up 28 days before and I am not keeping track. We still have a quarter of a bottle left that needs to be consumed within a month. Ya, only Daddy Lim and Uncle B drank a lot more. The rest of us are very conscious of our kidneys. Lol. 

Mummy Lim

We want to be Healthier… and Fitter and Slimmer

I do a lot of cardio exercises, going for my Fitness First (FF) gym classes up 5 classes a week. I usually go for the Bodycombat and Step classes. I have almost totally ditched the treadmill, elliptical and HiiT, unless I travel and make do with what is in the gym or any open space if there isn’t a gym. 

The cardio classes that I do come with some, but very little strength exercises, usually the squats, lunges and push-ups, which made use of body weight. I don’t like weights, core, and equipment since my 1st encounter with gym in my secondary school days. Gym sessions are so boring; give me high impact, loud music cardio classes anytime. 

They say that we lose muscle mass in our 40s. They say that while cardio exercises are good, we also need to do weight training to maintain muscle mass. I know. 

Finally, I put the nagging voice to action. I have decided to look for a Personal Trainer (PT). There are plenty of PTs in FF but many of them look dodgy, like they themselves built some muscles and then try to be some PTs. The PT sessions at FF are not cheap too, each 1 hour session cost $120 to $150, depending on how many sessions signed up. 

I wanted a PT so that I don’t mess with the gym equipment and injure myself. At the same time, I wanted to be pushed to do more. More importantly, I thought that I can accompany Daddy Lim, he definitely needed the extra exercises more than I do. With his medical condition, a good PT would be crucial. I think he would also be more disciplined and motivated if I am to go for these sessions with him.

Thankfully for Google, I managed to find a few trials. The 1st one was at a boutique gym a short drive away from home. The trainer looked young and the hour was spent trying out a few exercises on a few machines. That cost us $19.90 each. We didn’t sign up with the gym - the PT looks too inexperienced. 

The 2nd one was at a gym pod in Hougang. A gym pod is a little gym in a container placed mainly in parks. We have to pay $90 for this session. 

The PT was another young chap, who 1st praised that I look younger than my age, then bashed me by revealing that his mother is younger than I am. Lol. This PT worked us so hard that I already felt my muscle aching by the end of the session. We didn’t sign up too bcos we are more worried about him injuring us than training us.

Two Sundays ago, we went for a consultation with the Oompf gym, another boutique gym somewhere in Katong. It was a good 20 mins drive away. While we didn’t do any gym, the PT, E sounded very experienced. He has been PT-ing for the past 12 years and shared his experience of working with seniors and people with medical conditions. That is us. Lol.

After some thoughts, we signed up the buddy package - 9 sessions for $1,119. This is a pretty standard price. We tried our 1st session last week and it was an easy session. E said that it was to find our baseline and the following session would be more tiring. Then I realised that the exercises that we do are all the same - squats, some back push, then pull, deadlifts, shoulder lifts… E said that this is typically considered as a “all rounder” session. If we go more frequently, then we can do more targeted areas per session. It is ok, once a week sounds right. The gym is solely for training with PT and we got the gym to ourselves. 

It was fun to workout with Daddy Lim. E took special care of Daddy Lim and he got to do different exercises given his mobility constraints. Daddy Lim is so motivated and even wanted to start eating healthier. I wouldn’t be surprised that he would start losing weight and building up very quickly. Haiz, how come it is so much easier for men? 

At some point, when we are confident with the equipment, we can then start doing the regime on our own. The PT is there to keep us safe and of course to push us. Weight fitness really needs hard work. 

I got no muscle ache from the session. Let’s see how it goes this weekend. 

Mummy Lim

Mr Bear and Family

I got my 1st Mr Bear either as a Birthday or Farewell gift. Anyhow, he is already at least 13 years old. Zaky is a plushie person, unlike Nana. He kept fighting with me for Mr Bear and so I got him one too. 

This is Mini Bear. Actually, it isn’t any mini-er than Mr Bear. 

Then, on one of the holidays, we saw and bought micro bear.

Daddy Lim has 1 bolster and 3 pillows. I duno why he needed so many. Sometimes, some of them just got thrown over to my side of the bed and infringed my space. Tsk, tsk. I only have Mr Bear and a pillow. I was complaining about it and Daddy Lim decided to get me 1 more! Let’s go! 

We googled and decided to try our luck at Takashimaya. Found! 

I now have to figure out how the 3 of us fit into my side of the bed. Hoho. Happy problem.

Mummy Lim

Snowboarding Intermediate I Class, Lesson 4 and 5

I progressed and was excited to book my 1st Intermediate I class. Nana has loaned me her sweats for the Taiwan trip and I worn them to class. This is the teenager in style now. 

Nana commented that I got no butt! That is my lacking asset and apparently the ten thousands of squats and lunges that I had done over the years didn’t help. Lol.

I thought it would be nice to have classmates and opted for a Saturday 9am class. I was the 3rd student. The other 2 students were a couple, with there 8 yo son, who was taking lesson at 10am. 

Since I got ready 1st, I also started warm up 1st. Then I realised that I have suddenly totally forgotten how to snowboard. I lost my both my toe side and heel side and fell multiple times just during the warm up. I duno why. At least I was fully decked in the protective gears.

After about 10 mins of struggling with my warm up, it was the couple’s turn. It didn’t help that they were so much better. I duno what they were doing but look like they would already be good snowboarders on the mountain. 

The lesson went on this way, I struggled a huge part and by the end of the class, I was still wondering if I still remembered my basic heel and toe side. After class, I stayed on to chit chat a little and watch their 8 yo’s lesson. Zaky would have been the same at that age - playful, monkeying, not listening to instructions. It was cute watching the boy. That was when I found out that the couple is supposed to be in Intermediate II class but took this, so that their boy could have lesson next. They have also gone onto the mountains several times and planing to go Shenzhen indoor ski resort soon, before chasing the snow in Australia in the middle of the year. 

I now realised that having classmates isn’t such a great thing after all. What I did bring back were not new skills but new muscle aches. I always discover places that I didn’t know I have muscles after snowboarding class. On Sunday, I woke up with muscle ache in my left arm, bcos I was desperately grabbing the bar during class and then at  the back of my neck!!! I bet it was my neck trying to brace the multiple falls. 

I was contemplating another class on Sunday. I have 1 more lesson credit to use up by mid April, which could be passed to Nana. She is finally free now to take classes. I had a busy Sunday and it was a challenge to squeeze in a class. 

It all started with a 6km jog. Jogging never get easier for me, regardless of how physically active I am. 

Then I visit Auntie TL’s church. We did the Chinese service this time. I understand. My Chinese is powerful. It was again Nana’s sweats, annd also her socks and shoes. Hoho. 

We then met the Aunties for lunch and coffee. The usual catch up sessions, without kids.

There was a class at 4pm with 1 other student but I couldn’t make it in time. I was contemplating the Intermediate II class at 8pm and 9pm. Apparently, if there is only 1 or 2 students in the class, the instructor could customise to the students’ standard, regardless what the actual class is for. Thankfully, it is the off peak season and most of the classes are empty, until the 2nd half of the year.

I eventually signed up for the 9pm class bcos I would be the only student and Daddy Lim nicely sent me. I told the instructor of my sad plight. He was very kind and started with me on my basics, reminding me on how to bend knees and sit back for the heel side. I got my heel and toe side back after a while. Yay! I fell a couple of times but at least for new things that I was learning. 

I learnt how to do the Torsional twisting and I will be putting it here so that I can review before my next class - from heelside, step down right toes, then lean in to toe side. From toe side, step down right heel, then lean back to heel side. I feel fully satisfied. My next class would be more than a week later and I really hope that I would remember my basics. 

Nana would be taking her intro class this Thursday. I am sure she can skip level or progress in leaps. 

Mummy Lim

Snowboarding Beginner II Again

This long weekend has been an active week so far. On Thursday night, the cycling group has planned a 70km ride. That sounded doable; the last JB bfast ride was also 70km and under the hot sun. 

What I forgot to consider was that the ride was at the end of a long workday and I am a morning person. There were 9 of us, all on roadies and that spell trouble. The 1st point was the West Coast highway. This is a group who cheong on climbs and go crazy on WCH. It was already so tiring by the end. Then, we went all the way to Gul Road (Tuas), LCK and Neo Tiew, then climbed Mandai and Upper Thomas. Towards the end, I wasn’t the only quiet one. I was aching all over and so were the others. Bcos we lost our way in Tuas, we ended up with 80km. The only nice thing was that I finally got to ride the new LCK road and that is so much better than the old road. 

We were all so tired that there was only 1 picture. Nobody was keen for supper and I was home at about 1ish. 

Nana said that she wanted to skate on Good Friday morning but had to be in church by 10am. I ended up waking at 6am bcos Yochi was meowing so loudly for food. We did do our morning skating date. Nana complained that I was too slow bcos I was trying to stay alive over the steps and traffic crossing and all. 

Some of the slopes were so steep. Nana encouragingly told me to keep braking and go down slowly. Hmmm… so helpful. Lol. I survived! 

Daddy Lim didn’t skate but he drove to meet up with us at Kallang Mall and then drove us MacD bfast. Nana was dressed right. Very pur-pur.

I spent the rest of Good Friday resting and sleeping and eating. I was so tired and lost all self discipline. It is ok, my body deserves the rest (and I think eating too).

This morning, I left the house at 7ish with Nana.

Nana was heading for her last canoeing practice before NSG and would probably come back even more chao tar. I duno why all teenagers feel invincible against the sun and UV. She said that she didn’t put on/ bring sunblock. Zzzzz. 

I headed for my morning body combat class and was happy with the workout after lazing around the whole day at home yday. Thereafter, I headed to Somerset for my 2nd Beginner II class. I was looking forward to classmate bcos it was so lonely and tiring to be on my own. The constant heelside and then toe side and then rotate again was torturously tiring. 

Sadly, I was again the only student. I met Auntie M and her kids taking aggressive class with Coach at the skatepark. Daddy Lim has paused the class bcos of knee pain. Zaky is just so busy with his other social activities. I think he has forgotten how to aggressive skate already. 

I realised how easy it is to forget what had been learnt. Each time I go back for lesson, usually a few days/ week apart, I sort of forgot how to do the basics. The instructor asked me to start with the warm up. Whatever that means… and I already fell a few times just warming up. Oooooo… the heel side and toe side and then again was so tiring. 

Bcos I was the only student, I set the class pace/ speed. This lesson was very much on the garland and C turn, which means turning from heel side to having the board parallel to the slope, then back to heel side again. The other one was to move from toe side to parallel to heel side, then back to parallel and toe side. 

Towards the end of the lesson, I was instructed to hold tranverse (i.e board at an angle) at the end of the heel/ toe side turn, then turn back, so that it is smoother and that is a S turn. The instructor went on and on with the theory and I kept nodding my head but more the half the time, her words just flew over my head. Lol. Thankfully, the words had somehow subconsciously got into me and I managed to do what I needed. 

The whole point was to drive using my right knee, which is the front knee, to control. In reality, bcos it is on a slope, it is natural to try to lean on the back knee to counter the gradient. Everything in snowboarding makes sense but don’t make sense. Lol. 

Bcos these turns move me from heel to toe and back, it was so much less tiring than the previous class that stressed so much on my “everywhere” for control. I also enjoyed standing still or kneeling while listening (or pretending) to the instructor explaining. 

She said that my control was not bad ok. She asked if I had ever did turns on actual slopes/ class before bcos I was learning quickly. #megaproud No ah, the last that I involuntarily turn on the Japan slope, my board got caught in the powdered slope and I so badly twisted my ankle. She then said that it is probably bcos I was conscious of my body, actively doing (lean here/ there) the right thing, thus I learnt faster. Many people started panicking and falling a lot more when learning the turns. I accrued this to also the many wannabe snowboarding trips that we had taken. Somehow it makes sense? She said that the key is not to panic but everybody naturally panics. 

The instructor went on and on several times on theory. Each time, I told her that the theory makes so much sense but it is actually all jumbled up in the head and I duno if I can do it physically. Anyhow, it is all about practice. I am excited that I wouldn’t be the family’s weakest link in the next snowboarding holiday.

The next lesson would be the Immediate I lesson already. That will have to wait until I am back from India and the remaining 2 classes must be completed before we fly for Taiwan in 2 weeks time.

Mummy Lim

Snowboarding Beginner II

I took my intro snowboarding class last Monday. Truth be told, it took me a while to summon my courage to sign up but the moment I did, I was looking forward to class. 

I met Auntie S for lunch thereafter and decided that I would take full advantage of my OIL and signed up for the 6pm Beginner I class. Daddy Lim sent me for class and helped me with the pictures. 

I thought I look quite decent but I had quite a few falls, one of them particularly spectacular. No bones were broken thankfully. I took class with a young couple, who just returned from a snowboarding trip. They signed up for the trip but there was no instructors and they had to figure their way down the green slope. The lady said that she was trying to survive more than anything else. So funny but I can imagine. 

I learnt how to move left and right on heel side, then on toe side. We get to take turns and while I lament silently over the waiting, I think it was much needed. 

The next morning, I woke up with muscle aches, in places that I didn’t know muscles existed - the muscles at the 2 sides of my neck hurt so much. The muscle aches were not massive aches but enough to make me do duck waddle for the next 2 days. 

I signed up for a package of 6 lessons at their current promo. Snowboarding is expensive and with the promo, each lesson cost $70. I have 1 month to complete all 6 classes. That isn’t too difficult, I had already finished 2 classes on a single day. 

My original plan was to take my Beginner II lesson during the weekend. Oh yes, I have progressed! I wasn’t fast enough and didn’t find a slot at a timing that I wanted. Instead, I did a 8pm lesson today. I was the only student and had a “private” lesson. 

I had all the attention from the instructor but it was massively exhausting, especially when I was doing my toe side. It is a combination of wrong technique that made me tired without achieving what I needed and hit repeat. The instructor tried reminding me, bend this leg, put weight on that knee, on the ball of the sole, not the toes. All these made a lot of sense but after a while, my body was not responding to the commands or what my brain was telling my body to do. Lol.

I was constantly asking for breaks, especially when I was doing my toe side. Can you stop the carpet while you are explaining? Hoho. Can you explain slowly and in more details? Oh yes, I was absolutely using those opportunities to rest. While resting, I was happily chit chatting with the instructor to prolong my rest time. How I wish I have other class mates so that I can legitimately take longer rest. Hahaha. 

By the end of the class, I was doing my heel side nicely and was able to control the movement from side to side nicely. As for toe side, it depends on whether my body responds to what the brain is asking it to do. lol. 

The instructor said that I can go and do my Intermediate I class already. In the Intermediate class, I will be taught how to connect the heel side to toe side. Hmmm… I think I need more practice. In fact, I have already booked another Beginner II class on Saturday morning. Hoho. Weekend classes are popular and I think I will have class mates. 

We were all given this little booklet that the instructor will tick off after every lesson. I do feel like a student again. I am looking forward to Saturday class! 

Mummy Lim